News

10 rules in the Red Light District of Amsterdam

26/12/2018
The Red Light District of Amsterdam may seem like the place where everything is allowed, but the famous Dutch tolerance does have its limits. Here’s 10 important rules you should follow when visiting the Red Light District of Amsterdam:

1. No photos or videos of the prostitutes
We cannot stress this unspoken rule enough, but it is definitely not a good idea to take pictures or videos of the prostitutes in the Red Light District. We know that for some prostitutes standing behind the windows is not something you see every day, but they’re not there to model for your pictures, but to make money with their customers. Not only is it completely disrespectful to take pictures or videos of someone without their consent, it’s also a violation of privacy. Remember, the prostitutes aren’t outside on the street, but inside a building, meaning when you take pictures or videos you are violating their privacy.

2. No alcohol on the streets
We know this may sound weird, but it actually forbidden to have alcohol out on the streets in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. If the police sees you, you will get a fine of € 95,- and they will demand it to be paid directly with our debit or credit card. So do yourself a favor, don’t walk around with alcohol, and if you’re feeling too drunk, it’s probably time to go home.

3. Think about the neighbors
Some people may not know or realize this, but the Red Light District of Amsterdam is actually a residential neighborhood, which means that people actually live there. So please keep the volume down a little bit when you’re having fun in the Red Light District.

4. Be respectful to the prostitutes
Not in every country prostitution is legal, but in the Netherlands it is. But regardless whether or not prostitution is legal, these are also human beings, so show some respect. No means no, and respect the ladies.

5. No refund from prostitutes
No matter what, there’s no refund from prostitutes in the Red Light District. This is a common thing with customers who get disappointed with their visit, either due to the fact that they have performance issues, or due to the fact that there’s been a misunderstanding between the customer and the sex worker. But in no case can you ever get a refund. Even if the police gets involved, they also don’t have the right to give you back your money, only a judge can decide that, and it’s probably not worth it to hire an attorney for the money you spend there.

6. Don’t stand in front of the windows
A common thing which happens is that people start standing in front of the windows. But when you’re doing this, you’re basically making it impossible for the prostitutes to attract their customers and call them inside. So please don’t do this and let them do their work.

7. Don’t buy drugs from the street dealers
There are, especially late at night, drug dealers out on the streets in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. Besides the fact that what these drug dealers are selling is illegal, and thus you are committing a crime, it is not uncommon for them to sell you fake drugs. In the past dealers have also sold other drugs, such as white heroine, telling their customers it was cocaine. People have died from that in the past. So if you value your life and don’t want to get arrested for possession of drugs, or want to be scammed by a drug dealer, please don’t buy anything from the drug dealers on the streets.

8. Use the public urinals
We see frequently people peeing, or even taking a dump, against the beautiful buildings, or in the canals in the Red Light District. It’s not allowed, and mostly also very disgusting. If you have to go, there are public urinals outside on the streets, and you can always go inside one of the bars if you really need to go. But there’s never an excuse to do this on the streets or against the buildings or in the canals.

9. Don’t stand in the middle of the road
One of the most annoying things people do when visiting the Red Light District is standing in the middle of the road. Sometimes to take pictures of something, sometimes because they’re trying to figure out which way to go, or just to look around. But there’s nothing more annoying than someone blocking the road, and thinking they’re the only people on the planet. You’re not alone, certainly not in the Red Light District, so please don’t block the roads, but move to the sides, so that other people can pass. This is especially the case in the evenings, when the Red Light District becomes busy, and you’re not just blocking the road, but actually creating a bottleneck in the road, which leads to increased overcrowdedness.

10. Respect the neighborhood
Some people seem to think, just because this is the Red Light District, they can do whatever they want. They become disrespectful, and not just to the prostitutes, but also to other people that just live or work in the Red Light District. But keep in mind, this is also just a neighborhood, not everybody in the Red Light District is a prostitute, John or a drunk. So be respectful to the neighborhood and the people that live and work there.

If you respect these rules you’ll be sure to have a good time in the Red Light District, as well as the people that live and work there. We hope that everybody will follow these rules, and if not, you have been warned.

Discover the secrets behind Amsterdam's Red Light District with a local guide and learn all about the Dutch culture with the best rated walking tours.

We offer the best tours with local experts. From daytime to evening walking tours. Exclusive behind the scenes, Q&A tours with sex workers and private tours.

We're the only tour company that offers looks behind the scenes and offer a meet & greet with a sex worker from Amsterdam's Red Light District. Take a look inside a brothel, ask anything you want from a prostitute and get the real story!